PRDT: The Will To Live
by dtm666
Summary: Tommy had proven his will to live was stronger than any Ranger power. But when he suddenly passes out and is on the verge of death, will it be enough? Or has he been living on borrowed time? Done.
1. Chapter 1

**POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER**

**THE WILL TO LIVE**

Chapter One

Written by DTM666

**Disclaimer:** The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.

_Originally written and posted December 2005 – April 2006, this story serves as a follow-up to the episode, "Fighting Spirit", and takes place a few days afterwards. This was my first story involve one of the more recent seasons, Dino Thunder._

-o-

It had been so sudden...

He had been teaching his class, which was going as well as any other day. He was feeling perfectly fit, save for a slight case of fatigue due to the lack of sleep last night. Things were relatively calm and other than a few cases of the monstrous type, it was another routine day for him. Then without warning, he collapsed on the floor prompting several students to run up and check on him. Though he had suffered the symptoms of simply "passing out", he had somehow managed to retain consciousness. He had tried to move his limbs, but found that he couldn't. He tried to speak, but his lips wouldn't move.

It seemed all so sudden...

He could hear them screaming for him to hold on. He had heard some of them calling for help. He even heard some muffled cries from some of his students. But no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't respond. He simply stared up to the ceiling mere moments after he collapsed, unable to move a finger or even a nerve. It was as if he had lost all control over his body. Slowly, he found himself floating upwards and assumed he was waking up, but a quick glance at his students' faces (shortly before they fell out of his view as he floated) showed that they were still looking down in tears. He quickly spun his head (with more relative ease than before) and saw his body laying on the cold floor without moving a single muscle. His eyes were open, but they were completely lifeless.

Before long, the scenery changed from his classroom to a place surrounded by white light. He soon found himself standing on his two feet, rather than floating away on his back as he had been a few seconds ago. He looked around his new surroundings with a confused expression; definitely weird even by his standards.

"Where am I?" he yelled out. His answer came in the form of an appearing figure in the distance. The figure was shrouded in shadows, but maybe he knew what was going.

"Who are you?" he asked the figure, but the figure didn't respond until he was closer. The figure soon emerged out of the shadows and into the light, revealing himself to be a white-robed man of basic build. His most shocking feature, though, was the lack of skin and a metal mask covering his face. A familiar mask that he thought we would never see. A mask that had struck him with more fear than he ever thought possible.

"Welcome to the afterlife, Tommy," Lord Zedd greeted Thomas Oliver as cheerfully as he could. "_You're dead._"

-o-

Hayley's Cyberspace cafe would normally be filled with teenagers getting together and hanging out, but today the place was practically void of life. The reason for this is that it was closed for the day since the owner had yet to arrive.

When Hayley got the news of Tommy's passing out earlier in the morning, she took a detour from the cafe to the hospital where he was supposed to have been to for intensive care. This was the same hospital where Tommy had been in a coma just days earlier. Hayley wondered if the two might have been related, but pushed aside those thoughts and concentrated on getting there as fast as possible.

After a rather lengthy ride, Hayley had arrived at the hospital in question and quickly got inside. With help from the receptionist, Hayley managed to get to Tommy's private room, where the three Dino Thunder Rangers, Conner, Kira, and Ethan, were looking over him along with a middle-aged, gray-haired doctor. Hayley walked in the room and took a closer look at Tommy, who seemed to be breathing and sleeping comfortably.

She turned to the doctor. "How's he doing, Doctor?"

The doctor turned to Hayley and shot her a half-smile. "Well, the good news is that he's breathing normally and that he's currently in no danger of dying."

"Currently?" Ethan replied, "You mean he still could?"

"At this point, son, we don't know enough about his condition to figure out what's going on," the doctor said, "I promise you we're doing everything we can for him, but until we know what we're dealing with, we can only speculate."

Hayley nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. I know you will."

The doctor returned the nod and left the four alone with the unconscious Tommy. When no one was in sight, Conner spoke up. "Do you think Mesogog has something to do with this?"

Hayley shook her head. "I doubt Mesogog has that kind of power. I'm thinking it has to do with that procedure a few days ago."

Ethan studied Tommy for a moment before turning back to Hayley. "But he's breathing fine now. Back then, he wasn't. There's no way the two could be related."

"We don't know for sure, Ethan," Hayley told them, "But we do know that you guys have to be on the alert now. With Tommy out, Mesogog will want to take advantage."

Conner nodded in agreement, as did the others. Whatever happens, they would have to be ready for it, since Doctor Oliver wasn't available to help them this time.

-o-

"Zedd? What's going on here?" Tommy barked as he instinctively fell into a defensive stance. "Where am I?"

"I told you, Tommy," Zedd replied in that uncharacteristically cheerful voice, "This is the afterlife, you're dead, and I'm God."

Tommy snorted in disbelief, slowly backing off from the fleshman. "So what? You're stealing other villains' dialogue now? I would have thought you come up with more original material these days."

Zedd shook his head in disappointment. "Laugh it up, Tommy. But the fact is you're dead."

"That's not true. I've had an episode like this before. But I proved that my will-" Tommy stopped when Zedd raised a hand and bellowed.

"Your will to live is stronger than any Ranger power. Is that what you were going to tell me?" Zedd couldn't help but chuckle at that last remark. "Looks like you've lost that will to live, my boy."

"You lie!" Tommy spat, turning away from his old enemy. "Somehow Mesogog had me sedated through some spell and this is all a dream state that I have to fight my way out of." He took a few steps away from Zedd, almost expecting to be stopped. As he continued onward, he casually glanced back at Zedd who stood there, much to his surprise.

"Funny," he said, "I would have thought you would come after me or shoot me in the back."

Zedd shook his head. "I'm beyond that, Tommy-boy. And like I said, you're dead."

Tommy couldn't help but smile. "There's no way I could pass out like that and just die. It's medically impossible."

"You're an idiot," Zedd shot out as he slowly approached the veteran Ranger. "How did you get to become a doctor anyway? And not even a real doctor on top of it!"

Tommy didn't flinch. He just stood as the fleshman approached him until they were only a few inches apart. "You still refuse to believe, Tommy. I'll have to prove it then once and for all."

Tommy shot him a wry smile. "I'd like to see you try."

"Tommy?" a familiar voice called out, which shook Tommy to his core. He hadn't heard that voice in years since the Turbo days. He slowly turned to see a familiar blonde girl in a pink gown walking towards her and Tommy's jaw dropped opened as he stared at her in disbelief. She hadn't been seen since her house blew up years ago - an experience Tommy didn't want to go through again.

"Kat?" he asked quietly, "Is it you?"

The girl nodded. "It's me."

"B-But how can this happen?" Tommy's word broke as he talked. "That's impossible."

Kat frowned and started to place a hand on Tommy's shoulder, but he quickly slapped it away. He looked at her as she quickly turned away and ran.

"NO! I don't believe it! This isn't real!" he screamed to no one in particular, "This is just an illusion! None of this is real!"

He turned to Zedd, who shook his head in disappointment. Without a moment's hesitation, Tommy threw his fist at Zedd's head and as soon as it made contact, Zedd's form shattered into a million shards of glass. Tommy study his fist for a moment and saw that it was bleeding. A smile crept on his face as he looked up to find himself in a darkened chamber; the illusion of heaven having faded away. He looked around to find Kat, but saw nobody except for a lone figure who stood at the end of the chamber. A spotlight lit over the figure, but his or her physical features were blackened.

"Congratulations, Tommy," the figure greeted in Tommy's own voice, much to the shock of the veteran Ranger. "You've passed the first test."

Tommy broke into a stance. "What test?"

"The test of your endurance," the figure said as he slowly approached Tommy, with the spotlight following the figure's movement. "The test that you have managed to avoid the last time."

"What do you mean?" Tommy took a few steps back but soon he found himself backed against the wall. The figure stopped in his movements and with a snap of his fingers, the chamber lights opened to reveal a colorless room adorned with gems. Tommy looked around momentarily before looking at the stranger, who was no longer a stranger, but a familiar sight. He didn't want to believe this possible, but he knew it was entirely possible when he quickly knocked out by a red blaze.

The blow knocked Tommy to the ground and just before he faded into darkness, he saw the Red Turbo Ranger standing over him. He barely caught the single word that the Ranger spoke before passing out.

"Me."

-o-

"It's worse than we feared," Doctor Payne told Hayley as they both looked at Tommy's deteriorating vital signs late at night. The other Rangers had long since left.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know what's happening to him, ma'am," he replied, knowing well what he had to say wasn't good. "But I do know that whatever is happening to him is quickly eliminating any chances we have of recovery. There's nothing we can do."

Hayley gasped. "You mean..."

The doctor nodded painfully. "He's not going to make it."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2

**POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER**

**THE WILL TO LIVE**

Chapter Two

Written by DTM666

**Disclaimer:** The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.

-o-

The stinging pain in the back of Tommy's head did more than enough to break him from the unconsciousness that enveloped him thanks to the stinging sidekick of the Red Turbo Ranger - a past identity that he had passed on to TJ Johnson, who had since retired the powers. As he slowly gained his bearings enough to get to his feet, Tommy thought about the Turbo Ranger. He knew it wasn't TJ, because the Ranger spoke with Tommy's own voice. He had thought it to be his Green Ranger clone, but he quickly ruled that out. While the clone had proven to be a formidable opponent with an extremely long lifespan, their last encounter had been a brutal one that the doppelganger did not survive. Tommy thought if this was possibly another test of his will, but if that was the case, then his head wouldn't have hurt as much and he wouldn't have been knocked out as easily.

When his blurred vision got much clearer, he found himself in an endless grass field. Even with his spotty memory, Tommy found this place similar to another grass field he had been several years ago when he had lost his Green Ranger powers for good. The grass field had been the place of nightmares for Tommy, as most of his darkest dreams - the ones he would never admit to having - were set in this very place. This was more like those nightmares, as the sky was dark and cloudless as opposed to a bright sunny day when he was really there. Pushing aside the small slither of fear in his soul, Tommy began walking around the field, hoping to find anyone who could provide him an answer. But after some time, he realized that no one would answer his calls. So he sat down on the grass and began to meditate, think over what has happened, and hopefully, find a way to get out of this situation. For a moment, things seemed peaceful.

Tommy's eyes soon snapped open when he had heard the howl of strong winds. Getting to his feet, he looked around to find the winds blowing the grass, but was perplexed when he didn't feel anything but a gentle gale and the grass blades brushing against his legs and feet. Tommy raised his wrist to check his bracelet and Dino Gem, only to find there was nothing there. Just like in the previous trial, Tommy was missing his Dino Gem... but his bracelet, which he had with him in that trial, was also missing now.

_This is weird_, he thought, _even by _my _standards._

By sheer chance, Tommy's eyes caught the Red Turbo Ranger at a distance, who was running towards him. Tommy stood there as he watched the Ranger continue to run and pick up speed. In a few scant seconds, the Turbo Ranger ran so fast that he became nothing more than a red blur and Tommy was caught off-guard when the red force threw him off his feet and six yards across the field. When Tommy landed, he didn't feel as much pain as he should have, nor did he feel tired. Standing up, he saw the red blaze that was the Turbo Ranger approach him again. This time, Tommy waited until the Ranger was close enough, at which point he threw a closed fist forward. Somehow, the fist had taken the Turbo Ranger out of his speed burst and caused him to crash on the ground.

Tommy smiled and fell into a horse-like stance. "Gotcha."

The Turbo Ranger slowly got to his feet and stared at the veteran Power Ranger. He circled the man and slowly nodded his head. "So you do know my tricks. I was afraid you'd forgotten."

Tommy ignored the comment, his gaze following the circling Ranger. "Who are you?"

"I'm you," the Turbo Ranger said simply, "Isn't that obvious?"

"But I passed you away to TJ."

"So I became the bastard child nobody wanted. That's just great," he said sarcastically, "I just bet you couldn't wait to leave the Power Rangers. You couldn't wait to drop me like a bad habit."

"It wasn't my decision to leave!" Tommy argued, "I didn't want to leave the team!"

"But it sure made you happy, didn't it?" The Ranger slowly pulled out his blaster and pointed it at Tommy's head. "Consider this a returning of the favor."

Tommy let out a discouraged sigh and raised both hands in front of him. "Now, wait a minute. You can't use a blaster."

"Oh, but the White Ranger and Green Ranger could use their toy swords? Shut up." The Turbo Ranger pressed a knob on the blaster, causing it to whirl very rapidly. "I've just set this to maximum kill. One hit and you're gone."

"Going for the cheap way out, huh?" Tommy said, "Just your style, I guess."

With that, Tommy leaped up and kicked the blaster from the Rangers hand. Both eyed the flying blaster which eventually exploded in mid-air. The explosion was enough distraction for Tommy to tackle the Ranger to the ground. The Turbo Ranger manage to throw off Tommy and get to his feet. Tommy also recovered quickly to block the flurry of attacks that the Ranger had launched. The Rangers' attacks came out fast and continued to gain speed, but somehow Tommy's quick blocks were also gaining speed to the point where his various moving limbs became black blurs that countered the red blurs that were the Turbo Ranger's attacks.

Somewhere within that blur, a mistake on the Ranger's part was made and Tommy capitalized by thrusting both palms to his opponent's chest, knocking the Ranger away and dizzying him for a moment. It was more than enough for Tommy to land a kick on the Ranger's chest. Upon impact, the Ranger shattered like glass similar to how the robed Zedd was taken out.

Tommy let out a sigh and stood in the middle of the grass field, waiting to be taken to the next trial.

-o-

Running on coffee and only three hours of sleep, Hayley spent the night at the Dino Base, looking through many of Tommy's notes and his extensive video archive in search of an answer or possibly even a cure to his ailment. But even after many tiring hours, she was no closer to a solution than she was when she started. The only non-variable in the equation was that Thomas Oliver was dying... the cause unknown. Although Doctor Payne said he would do everything he could to help Tommy, Hayley knew it wasn't enough. She needed help - someone who was an expert in the field. Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed a number and waited until the other line picked up.

"Hello, it's me. How fast can you come to Reefside? It's urgent."

-o-

A great force somehow brought Tommy to another strange place that he instantly recognizes as Rita's old Dark Dimension. The thick fogs covering the floor, the golden cage bars, and ominous starfield in the background are all as they appeared back in that dreadful place. However, Tommy noted a couple minor differences. The first difference was that there was a cage ceiling, whereas the actual dimension never had one; it was always an open box. The other difference was that the fog, once a ghostly white, was now crimson colored. Tommy pushed aside any thoughts as to what it was; he had to be prepared for whatever test he would be presented with.

Tommy approached one of the cage bars and held on to one of them. To his surprise (or not), he felt nothing. Whether it was because the architect of these affairs forgot about the electrical charge contained within or whether he or she wanted Tommy in one piece... he couldn't be sure. Again, Tommy pushed those stray thoughts aside and focused on waiting for his next opponent. He didn't wait long, for when he turned around, he stood face to face with the Green Ranger. But not quite the Green Ranger.

_What's going on here? _Tommy thought.

Unlike the Green Ranger in Tommy's previous trial, this Green Ranger had no holsters and as a result, no dragon dagger or blade blaster. There was no silver streak adorning the helmet, but the ruby gemstone that was etched into the headpiece glowed - something Tommy had never witnessed the Green Ranger do before. The dragon shield he wore on his chest shined a pristine gold color, brighter than any Ranger armor he had seen before or since. But what caught Tommy's eyes were the color of the suit and gloves. The white diamond pattern was still visible - something the previous Green Ranger lacked - but the suit itself and the patterns the gloves and boots was a pale green with a slight magenta tint.

Tommy didn't know what to make of this, but before he could react, a sharp pain had struck his left shoulder and Tommy instinctively clutched onto it while writhing. When his eyes met his shoulder, he was shocked to see a pink arrow sticking out of his shoulder and a trail of blood flowing from the wound. He turned back to the Green Ranger and saw that he held a white bow in one hand and a second arrow in another hand. Tommy tried in vain to pull the first arrow from his shoulder, but the pain was too much and he stumbled the ground on his rear. Tommy watched as the Green Ranger prepared his weapon for a final shot...

-o-

In the soccer field close by the high school, Conner McKnight aimlessly kicked soccer balls into the goal net. Although they were fairly good shots, they were below the spectacular maneuvers that Conner was known for. At this point, Conner really didn't care. His mind was on other things; namely the well-being of Doctor Oliver and his own readiness in case Mesogog decides to strike. He would have been meeting with the others at the Cyberspace cafe, but Kira was with Trent and Ethan was helping his dad with computer problems, which left him alone on the field kicking a soccer ball.

"Shouldn't you be at school, son?"

A startled Conner turned to see Anton Mercer, dressed in his usual leisure suits. Anton Mercer was an old friend of Tommy as well as Trent's adoptive father, but was also the head of a major corporation that was on the verge of making a comeback in the world of business after a long time in hiatus. Conner found it strange that Mercer would take the time to talk to him - considering they don't have any special relationship other than that Mercer briefly served as a substitute for Doctor Oliver.

"School's out," Conner said, "Something about teachers' strikes or something."

Anton nodded and slowly approached the boy, who seemed almost intimidated by the man. "Have you gotten any word on Doctor Oliver's condition?"

Conner shook his head. "Nobody tells the students anything. It's like one big secret the teachers are hiding. I'm surprised they haven't let you in on the deal, you being a substitute."

"Part-time substitute," Mercer corrected, "And I've only filled in for Doctor Oliver for a short time." After a momentary silence, Mercer patted Conner's shoulder. "I'll see about getting an update on Tommy's condition. If I know anything, I'll let you know."

"Sounds cool, Mr. Mercer. Thanks."

With a nod, Mercer shot Conner one last smile before leaving the boy alone in the soccer field. When he was out of sight, Conner resumed kicking around the ball, but before making the shot, spotted Hayley walking towards him. Conner quickly picked up the ball and ran to her.

"Hayley, what are you doing here?"

Hayley frowned, her face telling Conner the whole story. "Tommy's condition has taken a turn for the worse. They've taken him to the emergency infirmary."

Conner brushed a hand through his hair. "This isn't fair. Doctor O is dying and we can't do a thing about it. Did you tell the others yet?"

"Not yet," Hayley replied, teary-eyed. "I called a friend of Tommy who might know a little more about this than I do, but if he doesn't get here in time, it'll be too late."

-o-

His car has gone six hours running through highways without a pause. He had sped through tolling stations without paying. Now he finds himself speeding through the main expressway to Reefside at about two times the speed limit. His fast lane cuttings have earned him the hatred of other drivers along the way, but he doesn't care. He can't afford to wait and respect any rules of conduct. If he does, it'll be too late and his friend will be dead.

"Hold on, Tommy," he prayed, "Hold on a little more."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Chapter 3

**POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER**

**THE WILL TO LIVE**

Chapter Three

Written by DTM666

**Disclaimer:** The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.

-o-

The drive was long and tiring. Many traffic violations were committed to get here, but considering the urgency, he doesn't care if the courts threw the book at him. From the distance, he could see the long worn-down "Welcome" sign. From there, the drive to the infirmary wouldn't take long. Traffic at this time should be at a minimum if his reports were correct. He prayed that they were. Unfortunately, by the time he got to the downtown area, he found himself trapped in a traffic jam with no room to maneuver. This left him utterly frustrated as he couldn't afford time wasted. The possibility that he might not make it after all soon dawned on him and with that, he pulled out his car phone and speed-dialed Hayley.

"Yeah, I'm close by, but there's too much traffic in the way and I might not make it in time. I have another plan, but I'll need your help in executing it."

-o-

Tommy stared at the Green Ranger as he pointed the pink-tipped arrow at his forehead from a distance. During the whole time, he had tried to force out the arrow that was impaled in his left shoulder, but the pain doubled every time he tried. Tommy was persistent and continued to pull out the weapon. He closed his eyes to try and block out or minimize the pain as the arrow was slowly being pulled from the flesh. When he had gotten the full arrow out, he tossed it at the Green Ranger, who launched his own arrow at him. Despite being slower and thrown with less force, the blood-stained arrow shattered the speeding arrow on impact and continued its way towards the Green Ranger, whom promptly swatted the arrow aside.

This gave Tommy more than enough time to stand to his feet. He turned to check on his injured shoulder, which was still bloodied but he could see that the wound was sealing itself quicker than expected. The pain was still there, however, and Tommy knew this would greatly inhibit his ability to defend himself. The Green Ranger stood before him completely still. Tommy waited for the Green Ranger to attack, but no attack came. Instead, when the Green Ranger moved, he lifted his hands towards his helmet and unlatched the clamps holding it together. With both clamps unlatched, the Ranger slowly removed the green helmet from his head, but rather than seeing a face behind the mask, Tommy saw pink energy pour from the body and helmet, covering everything it could touch. Tommy soon found himself enveloped in this energy and when the light of the energy faded, he found that he was no longer in the Dark Dimension.

Tommy looked around at his new surroundings, his hand still clutching onto the injured shoulder. The dark dimension had shifted to a large stadium with a full audience roaring their applauds. However, a closer look revealed that the crowds weren't filled with ordinary human spectators, but various monsters that Tommy had fought in the past during his Ranger career. Among these crowds, Tommy could spot out several Rangers of varying generations, all of them seemingly lifeless and bound by chains and thorns. And then there was the panel of judges and referees, all of whom took forms of Tommy's previous Ranger identities.

This didn't bode well for Tommy - he knew this all too well considering the stadium, which he instantly recognized. It was here (or at least, a place similar) that young Tommy Oliver, at the ripe age of 13, competed in his first major karate tournament. It was also here that Tommy suffered a major defeat that had made him doubt his abilities; a lingering detriment that had been in the back of his mind until he eventually lost the Green Ranger powers before becoming the White Ranger. Tommy looked around to find his opponent, but saw a thin line of Ranger forms obscuring his view. Finally, after a long time, Tommy's opponent stepped through the crowd and stood before the veteran Ranger, who couldn't believe his eyes.

It was himself at age 13.

The referee walked out of the crowd - a White Ranger with black stripes over the suit, no less - and dictated the rules of the match. Tommy got the important part of it; two falls win the match, just like in the actual tournament young Tommy competed in. As for the rest, he didn't listen as much. He just tried to push aside the growing pain that was slowly eating away his ability to use his left arm. He then looked at his younger self - there was that look of determination he had. This told Tommy that he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of it. Finally, the traditional bows of respect were traded and then the bell rung, signaling the start of the fight.

_This is it_, he thought to himself, _It's go time._

The young boy immediately started with a vicious dropkick that knocked Tommy out of the ring. Tommy landed on the floor outside the ring area on his left shoulder, which caused him to scream in agony as the pain multiplied instantly. From the corner of his eye, he could see the scorecard adding a point to his younger self. Tommy cursed to himself as he slowly got up - barely a second into the match and he was down a fall. He couldn't afford to make another mistake.

As soon as Tommy returned the ring, both fighters took their proper positions. When the bell rang again, the younger boy once again jumped in for a dropkick. This time, Tommy dropped down and as a result, the boy flew past him and out of the ring, his attack landing on a nearby Zeo Ranger official. Tommy smiled to himself as he checked the scorecard to find the match was now tied, although he knew the next fall would have to be a knockout. No doubt the boy realized this as well.

Both fighters returned to their proper positions and the bell rung to start the final round. Young Tommy Oliver soon ran at the older Ranger and executed a flurry of punches that Tommy dodged or blocked with little trouble. When one of the boy's punches landed on the left shoulder blade, Tommy winced in pain and the boy shifted his focus from punches to kicks, which were quicker and more difficult to block. Tommy was now being pummeled mercilessly by the younger boy, who seemed determine to win the fight. When Tommy was about to lose his footing, the boy pulled away and took a few steps back. He then broke to a run at Tommy - possibly to break into a dropkick, but Tommy took two steps forward and shot out a snap kick to the boy's chest. The attack was enough to stun the boy momentarily and Tommy performed a leg sweep to knock down the young boy. Approaching the boy, Tommy used his good arm to land a fist on his opponent's chest, which would normally confirm the knockout blow to register the final fall.

Tommy looked up to see the scorecard reflect his victory, but was baffled to see that the scorecard hadn't changed. Tommy waited for the scorecard to change, not aware that the boy got to his feet and grabbed a bloodied pink arrow that simply appeared on the side of the ring. When Tommy turned around, the boy threw the arrow as he would a javelin and Tommy winced as he felt the cold rod impale into him. The scorecard then added a point for the boy and soon all was silent.

At that point, the arena, the spectators, and everyone else faded to black, leaving only Tommy stunned in the middle. He looked down to find that damn arrow sticking out of his chest, the blood flowing from the newly-created wound. Adding to the misery, Tommy checked his shoulder to find the pain gone, but the wound reopened once again. He stumbled to his knees before falling to the ground on his back. For a brief moment, he could see several surgeons surrounding him in a darkened room. He sees them frantically doing their best to save him from... whatever caused this ordeal to begin with. But soon he sees the taller surgeon hang his head in defeat after a futile attempt while another pulls a cover over, blocking out the light. Tommy could feel his essence escaping his being once again. This time, he would accept his fate and let darkness consume him fully.

His will to live has been extinguished.

His life is over.

-o-

Doctor Edward Payne hung his head as his assistant nurse draped a sheet over the patient's body, who had lost all signs of life just seconds ago. Of all the life-and-death surgeries he had done over his twenty-five year career, he had never gone into one blind, but that was the case here. No one knew what the problem was and now no one knows what the actual cause of death was. He couldn't have put in natural causes, because this was anything but natural. Heart failure was a possibility, but the patient had a clean bill of health, stayed away from drugs, and was in top physical condition. He showed no signs of terminal diseases and yet he's dead. He didn't notice the room emptying out until an assistant nurse placed a hand on Payne's shoulder.

"You did your best, Doctor Payne," she said, "We all did. This isn't going to be easy for any of us."

Payne glanced at his assistant briefly before turning back to the patient. "It's never easy. I just wish there was more I could have done."

"You could give him to us."

The voice startled both Payne and his assistant, who turned towards the door to find the five Power Rangers. The Black Ranger went passed the others and walked towards the covered corpse. He pulled back the sheet to take a look at the patient's face, who seemed to be at peace yet dormant. It was a disturbing sight considering its lifeless state. The Black Ranger bowed his head in sadness as he replaced the sheet over the patient's head. He then took a small handheld device and clicked on the button, causing a small bluish portal to appear. He then took the medical bed with the patient and slowly rolled it through the portal. When they were through, the remaining Rangers also stepped through the portal. The Red Ranger was the last to go through, but not before meeting the eyes of Payne and his assistant.

"We'll keep you updated," he said sadly, "I promise."

Payne nodded as the Red Ranger stepped through the portal, which closed up soon afterwards. "Good luck, Rangers."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4

**POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER**

**THE WILL TO LIVE**

Chapter Four

Written by DTM666

**Disclaimer:** The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.

_A moment of silence, please... okay, all done. Let's move on..._

-o-

Black. The darkest color of the spectrum in which no light is visible.

Black. A vague description in a negative tonality as something dangerous.

Black. Complete darkness.

This is all that Thomas Oliver sees when he opens his eyes. The pain was gone. The weight of dry blood was also gone. He felt nothing but a cold surface under his feet. Tommy moves his left arm around and feels nothing. He pinches himself and feels nothing. He simply stands in darkness, letting the fact sink in to him, shedding away any doubt that had clouded his mind a few short minutes ago.

He's dead.

No tricks. No illusions. No spells. None of that.

He had expected to be in a cloudy place or in a realm of bright light. He had also considered the possibility of being sent to Hell and had expected to be surrounded by little imps with pitchforks dancing on flames. Instead, he found himself in this black void... a void he couldn't possibly identify. Tommy didn't really want to know about that. All he wanted to know was... what now?

In the distance, Tommy could see a small door of light appear. With no other option, he walks towards the door until he is a few steps away. He looks at the door and from it emerged another figure who looked like Tommy, with the exception of a few glaring differences. This particular figure wore a standard black tuxedo with white shirt and shiny black shoes. His hair was about an inch longer than what he had, and he had a full beard as opposed to Tommy's pinch. Both men stared at each other for a long time before the bearded man broke the silence.

"Welcome to the afterlife, Doctor Oliver," he said, then let out a shallow chuckle. "Man, I can't believe I just said that. I never would have saw that coming."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Who are you? And where am I?"

The man smiled. "You're currently in limbo, the realm between heaven and hell. This is where you still have some chance of survival. As for who I am, I'm you."

Tommy stood there wide-eyed. "You're kidding?"

"Actually, not you-you. But rather you in a different way." The other Oliver let out an exaggerated breath. "Let's call it alternate realities to keep things simpler."

"Good enough for me... Tommy?"

"Don't call me that," he said harshly, "I prefer Thomas."

Tommy scoffed. "Fine then... Thomas. So you mind explaining to me how you got here?"

Thomas smiled. "I died obviously, though through a different means than your own. I got stabbed in the back while attending a banquet that had turned into a bloody brawl."

"You? Stabbed in the back?"

"Incredible, isn't it?" Thomas shot with a dry grin. "Since then, I've been scrimmaging around here looking any way to get out of here and help my friends, but for several days, I've been unable to find a means of escape." He paused and took a long hard look at Tommy, who eyed him suspiciously. "Doctor Oliver?"

Tommy nodded. "A doctor of paleontology, actually."

Thomas groaned, almost in disbelief. "Even better. How about we find a means of escape together?"

"If one exists. We're dead, remember?"

"We're in limbo," Thomas added with a smile. "We're not dead yet."

-o-

Hayley sat at the computer console, inputting several key commands. When she was done, a loading screen appeared and she turned to see the makeshift containment chamber, where the unconscious Tommy laid on a bed with electrodes attached all over his body. She then glanced at the busy Black Ranger - normally a guise assumed by Tommy, but thanks to some modifications on Tommy's morpher to override the DNA decoders, was now occupied by a longtime friend who had arrived on short notice to try and save Tommy. When he had revealed his plan to Hayley through the telephone, she thought it was a risky venture, but considering that he had been in a similar situation before - and given his own credentials as a Ranger - she had no problem trusting him and going along with it.

Within the containment chamber, the Black Ranger tapped on a comm system. "Hayley, my side's ready to go. Are you all set?"

"Not like we have a choice or anything," she replied and turned to the console. She saw the monitor display Tommy's life readings, which were low but steady - definitely an improvement in any case. "Everything's set on my end. You sure you know what you're doing?"

The Black Ranger couldn't help but laugh. "Not like we have a choice or anything. Let's get started."

-o-

For several hours, two Thomas Olivers from different parallel realities were stuck in limbo, searching for a means of escape to no avail so far. Although Tommy was frustrated that he hadn't found a way out of limbo - whether it be to the realm of the living or not was irrelevant at this point - he did have conversations with the counterpart Thomas Oliver from the other dimension concerning personal matters. While he has his doubts that he is who and what he claims to be, he was amazed by how similar and different both their lives were in comparison.

Both of them had a personal command chamber under their homes, both of them had been considered legends among their respective Rangers, and both of them had suffered similar personal losses. But while Tommy had chosen to continue his lifestyle and eventually get a job as a high school teacher, the other Thomas Oliver had dedicated his whole life to the war against evil, abolishing his normal life in favor of anonymous status to look over various Ranger teams and commanding them from his personal command center that he had built underground in a land. Tommy noticed that there was a hint of disdain coming from Thomas whenever he spoke, but at the same time he couldn't help but wondered if he would turned out that way had he not decided to return to university and finish off his classes.

As Tommy was stray in his thoughts, he had tripped over a pebble laying on the ground but had managed to recover quickly. Eyeing the curious stone, he picked up and studied it for a moment. It was a simple, smooth-surfaced pebble about the size of his palm, but its touch was rather warm. As it got hotter, Tommy reluctantly dropped the stone. When it hit the ground, the stone shattered and from it released a cascade of energy which formed into a doorway. Through this doorway, Tommy looked on and saw Dino Base, where he saw Hayley and an old friend working over Tommy's body. The image just as quickly shifted to that of a darkened room with a body draped over it. From some of the tubes and equipment, Tommy assumed the room to be some kind of morgue, but he had never seen a morgue with this much technology. It came to mind that this might be the other Thomas Oliver's home dimension.

Tommy turned to Thomas, who was about a few feet away from him. "I found something of interest."

"What is it?" the bearded man asked as he approached his counterpart.

Tommy eyed the doorway as it shifted between the Dino Base and the dark morgue. "Looks like an Invisi-Portal."

"Invisi-what?"

"Invisible portals," Tommy cleared up, "Doorways that often transport from one spot to another. But they're usually invisible when inactive."

Thomas eyed the phenomenon closely, noticing several particles of energy leaking from it. Tommy just as quickly noticed it too, as all well as the fact that the doorway was slowly shrinking. Tommy assumed that it might take a couple hours as best, but his counterpart seemed much more pessimistic.

"Looks like this one's unstable," Thomas said finally, "Chances are only one of us can get through."

Tommy stared as the shrinking portal before he replied. "You're probably right. Hayley might have more experience with this, though." He turned to the bearded Thomas. "Any ideas on how we should proceed?"

Thomas thought for a moment. "Yeah, I've got one. I'll go and you stay."

Tommy looked at him incredulously. "What kind of idea is that?"

"My world needs me more than yours does."

Tommy winced. "Based on what?"

Thomas shot him a icy glare, ignoring the buckling of the doorway. "My world is on the verge of destruction while yours is threatened by a mutant dinosaur."

"Who is also capable of mass destruction," Tommy interrupted, "We've both got our reasons for going back. You just can't assume that yours is more important!"

As the two continued to bicker, the doorway suddenly turned a pale white and the light began to intensify. When the increasing brightness caught the attention of the two Rangers, they turned in time to see the portal collapse completely without a trace. Tommy looked down to find the pebble that had vaporized previous returned to normal. When he reached for it, a bolt of lightning shot from the stone and shocked his hand, causing Tommy to step back. Behind him, Thomas let out a strained chuckle.

"Great job, _Doctor_," he snorted, "We're stuck here now."

Tommy angrily pushed away his counterpart. "You wanted to leave me behind."

"It doesn't matter now," Thomas said, "We're stuck here. Possibly forever."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Chapter 5

**POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER**

**THE WILL TO LIVE**

Chapter Five

Written by DTM666

**Disclaimer:** The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.

-o-

The initial tests performed within the past hour had revealed very little results, much to the chagrin of the Black Ranger. While Tommy's vitals were stable, they were still dangerously low. Most of the techniques he had learned from the self-help guide had little effect on Tommy's prone state. The Black Ranger cursed silently as he stared at the unconscious veteran Ranger who had been his longtime friend and partner. With a few keystrokes on the nearby console, he had begun another series of tests, each one more intensive than the last. Much to his disappointment, none of the tests had come up negative.

He had a problem, for he had exhausted all pre-programmed test options in the computer system's memory banks. He had thought of one possible scanning method he had witnessed years ago in his prime years. It was a scanning method that was only used a couple times when conventional scanning methods proved to be dead ends. Determined to try anything, the Black Ranger approached the keyboard and brought up a new command prompt. After a moment of recollection, he began typing frantically. From the other side of the clear barrier that divided the containment chamber from the rest of the room, Hayley had noticed the Ranger's typing away.

"Something wrong?"

"No, just something I'd like to try out," the Ranger replied simply, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to save this into the computer memory banks. In case you might need it again."

Hayley simply nodded. "No problem."

-o-

Some time had passed since the portal to the realm of living was closed off. Tommy couldn't remember how long it had been, though. He was focusing on looking for another way out... as well as mentally blocking off the incessive ramblings of his parallel counterpart, who had been on his back complaining about how he had let. He had tried to argue his point, but knew that this Thomas Oliver was even more dense that he was. Giving up his futile attempts, he continued to find a means of escape. Unfortunately, no other portal or gateway was found. As each minute passed, Tommy's resolve began to fickle as he wondered if he... if they would ever be able to get out of here.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the two Tommies gave up and took a brief break. It was clear to both of them that whoever was running things did not want them to leave until the time was right, if at all. So they got together and sat on the fog-covered floor, each one thinking individual thoughts. For a long time, neither one said a word to each other. In Tommy's mind, perhaps he'd preferred it this way.

"So what's your world like?" Tommy asked.

Thomas looked at him funny. "The same as yours, of course. Only different."

"Care to explain a bit?" Tommy's voice was more demanding. "I mean, we need to know each other a little better if we're going to get out of here?"

Thomas sighed, knowing what the doctor said was true. "After the Alliance war ended, I had committed myself to studying alien activity on Earth. I've pretty much shut myself off from society in order to prepare for any massive scale assaults. With the assistance of Andros, I was able to build a personal command chamber underneath my Arizona home and develop a database pertaining to all Ranger teams. This took me a few years to do.

"A couple years ago, Andros had learned that a renegade group of Machine Empire generals were digging out the remains of Lord Zedd's personal zord, Serpenterra. Knowing the power of that zord first hand, I had assembled a team of Red Rangers to prevent Serpenterra from being risen from the grave. The battle was fierce, but in the end, we emerged victorious and Serpenterra, along with the Machine generals, were destroyed."

"That happened in my world too," Tommy said, "Things would have gotten worse if it wasn't for Cole."

Thomas nodded. "Right. And we thought it was the end of it, but of course, we thought wrong. While we were fighting off Venjix, the real Machine Empire under the command of Emperor Aradon had waged war against the Varox Confederacy which resulted in the Varox homeworld being obliterated and the species almost completely decimated. Only a few Varox survived the encounter and they proved to be the most dangerous of the bunch.

"Several months later, a couple of Varox renegades had invaded Earth. One of them had attacked the city of Mariner Bay and was quickly defeated by the Lightspeed Ranger team. Unfortunately, the Varox had activated some sort of detonator that killed the Ranger team and devastated half the city." Thomas paused for a moment and noticed Tommy's jaw slightly dropping. "This didn't happen in your world, did it?"

Tommy shook his head as he regained his bearings. "Other than a few released demons, time-lost villains, and a fight with an evil tyrant, things have been relatively peaceful on my world." He caught Thomas rolling his eyes and sighed. "Sorry about that. So what happened after?"

"The other Varox was still on the loose and had gotten his hands on an experimental device that was supposedly able to send a detonation signal to just about every mass destructive bomb on the planet and send everything to hell. It took a lot of Rangers and resources to prevent Armageddon from happening, but we managed it." Thomas let out a breath before he continued. "So time passed and I had decided to attend a local banquet. Forgot what it was for, but it seemed important enough for me to show up. Around this time, a fight broke out and I got involved. I was actually doing pretty good, considering I couldn't use my powers. But overconfidence was my biggest mistake and someone took advantage by stabbing me in the back." He chuckled at that last thought. "It seemed almost funny now that I think about. All those adventures, all those life-threatening situations, and I go out by getting stabbed in the back."

Tommy placed a hand over his counterpart's shoulder. "It happens, man."

"Right," Thomas humored, "But from there, things got a lot worse. I have this nagging feeling that it was part of a bigger deal. That's why I have to get out of here. If I could be of any help..."

Tommy placed a hand over his counterpart's shoulder. "We'll get out of this, man. Together."

And for the first time, the bearded Thomas Oliver shot a smile. "Right. Let's find a way out of here."

With that done, Tommy got up and began walking away. Thomas stood there and watched as his counterpart moved further away. His friendly smile was soon replaced with a concerned frown and quickly followed by a devilish grin, his eyes staring a hole down the neck of Tommy.

"We'll find a way out together, Doctor Oliver," he whispered to himself as he began to follow Tommy. "But I guarantee you that we won't be leaving together.

-o-

It took a while to get the programming done, but eventually the computers had managed to process the new commands required to commence the makeshift scan that the Black Ranger had devised. With the more difficult part done, he focused on monitoring Tommy's vitals while the scanners did the rest. As he had expected, the new scan had produced some results and the Black Ranger checked the readouts. After a few minutes of scanning, he let out a agitated sigh and slammed both fists against the console.

"Crap," he cursed.

"What is it?" Hayley's voice boomed over the comm system. "Did you find something?"

The Black Ranger sighed. "Good news. I've found a way to bringing Tommy back to life."

Hayley almost smiled when she noticed the Ranger's lack of enthusiasm in his words. "That's a good thing, right?"

"Well, that's the bad news," he added, "It's completely out of our hands."

Hayley slumped back on her chair. "You're kidding."

"I wish," the Ranger said as he stepped into the small decontamination chamber that served as the entryway between the containment chamber and the rest of the room. Pressing a blinking light had caused the chamber to shower him with bright energy which removed the thing layer of radiation that had stuck onto the suit. After a few seconds, he stepped out of the chamber and quickly powered down, revealing a slender blonde-haired man of medium-build wearing a navy turtleneck and black pants.

"Apparently this is similar to his previous coma," he said, "but there are a couple of other factors that are inhibiting his recovery. One of which is an unforeseen element that has a dimensional ID different from Tommy's."

Hayley blinked a few times, trying to take in all the Ranger had said. "Dimensional ID? You mean whatever has Tommy like this is from another dimension."

The Ranger shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what I mean. I've never seen anything like this before. What I do know is that we can't do anything to counter the effects. Like I had said, it's completely out of our hands."

Hayley stifled a frustrated sigh. This isn't what she wanted to hear, but there wasn't any other way of getting another opinion. "Any other ideas?"

The Ranger thought for a moment before replying. "There's one other thing I might be thinking about, but it's a long shot."

"Anything's better than nothing at this point," said Hayley, her eyes affixed on the unconscious Tommy. "I doubt he can hold up."

"You're right," he confirmed, "It's worth a shot. Mind if I use your phone?"

Hayley pointed to the small handheld phone that was laying atop a stack of papers. The Ranger quickly picked it up and dial a number he hadn't used in a long time. He worried when there was no answer and was just about to answer when he had heard a very faint "Hello" from the other line, at which point he let off a quick sigh of relief.

"Yeah, it's me," he said, "Listen, I need your help."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 6

**POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER**

**THE WILL TO LIVE**

Chapter Six

Written by DTM666

Disclaimer: The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.

-o-

In the city of Reefside, a veteran Ranger's life hangs in the balance. Despite the help of a former Ranger and acquaintance, the fate of Thomas Oliver remains in doubt. Certain measures had to be taken.

Meanwhile, in the city of Mariner Bay, another former Ranger is resting comfortably in his nice warm bed in his small house. He was so glad that he was finally able to settle down in the morning after dealing with bureaucrats and stock holders for two hours straight that had interrupted his much needed sleep early in the morning. It wasn't something he had regretted after leaving Aquitar and getting involved with various Ranger-related projects, but William Cranston often wished that all these duties and opportunities caused a strain on his own personal life... which he had little time for these days.

Some time later, Billy got out of bed and let out a relieving yawn. Putting on a nearby robe, he was walking his way towards the bathroom when the telephone rung. Billy hung his head in frustration, anticipating another phone call from the parties whom had awoken him earlier.

"Hello?"

_"Yeah, it's me. Listen, I need your help."_

Billy rolled his eyes, partly surprised by the other veteran Ranger calling through his number and partly frustrated by his lack of proper etiquette. "I'm doing fine, Justin. Thanks."

_"Excuse me?"_ the Ranger asked, confused.

"I've just had a good breakfast, had an excruciatingly dull conversation with Lightspeed's investors, and was on my way to a shower." Billy yawned before continuing. "You know, a little courtesy is all I'm asking."

_"Sorry about that,"_ Justin replied, _"but I really need your help."_

"With what?"

_"It's Tommy. He's unconscious."_

Billy suddenly became more aware at the mention of his friend and fellow Ranger, although he had suppress a grin. "He seems to be enjoying that position a lot as of late."

_"Doctor Payne had reported him dead, but I believe otherwise,"_ Justin stated matter-of-factly. "_I found something that could be causing this, but I need your help._"

"Where're you at?"

"_Reefside. He moved there months ago. I know it's a long way from Mariner Bay, but I really need your help with this and so does Tommy._"

Billy looked at his watch and mumbled to himself before speaking into the receiver. "If I find my old communicator, I'll be there in a few minutes. If not... well, make it an hour's drive."

Before Justin Stewart could reply, Billy hung up and walked to the bathroom.

-o-

Meanwhile in limbo, the two Thomas Olivers continued their search for a means of escape in the endless reality. Their search had eventually stumbled upon a small pebble similar to the one they encountered before. Further observation from Tommy confirmed that this was the stone they encountered before and now they were standing around the stone, looking at it intently. Thomas didn't know what to make of this, but he decided not to push the subject. Both were silent as they watched the stone shift colors from white to green and back again. After several minutes of staring into the stone, Thomas finally broke the silence.

"Any source of inspiration coming from the rainbow stone?"

"Pick up the stone," Tommy blurted out.

"Come again?"

"Pick up the stone," Tommy said again, "Maybe it'll open because you didn't touch it."

"But we share the same fingerprints," Thomas argued, "It'll never work."

Tommy looked at him, slightly annoyed. "You wanted an idea, didn't you?"

Thomas sighed. Feeling there was no other option, he gently picked up the stone and studied it for a moment. Just as before, it was a smooth-surfaced pebble that gradually grew hotter. Eventually, Thomas dropped the stone, watching it shatter when it hit the ground. Just as before, a cascade of energy was released, eventually forming a doorway as it did before. Unlike the previous doorway, there was no peeks into other realms. Instead it was a comforting blue hue of energy with no shift in colors or shades.

"The portal's back," Tommy said as he observed the doorway more carefully. "Looks more stable this time."

"I'll take your word for it." replied Thomas, who gazed at the flowing portal briefly, digesting its hauntingly beautiful form. He then turned to his double and shot a devilish grin. "Well, it's been fun, but I've got to run."

"Wait a minute," Tommy said, holding his counterpart by the arm as he was about to step through. "I thought we were going to try and escape together."

"Change of plans," Thomas shot, "Besides, I thought you knew how critical things were on my world!"

"Which doesn't make it any reason for you to be this way!" Tommy retorted. "According to the divine powers that brought us here, you were meant to die."

Thomas withheld a snort. "I don't know if you forgotten, but so were you. But if you insist on keeping me from helping my friends, then I have no choice but to take you down."

Tommy sighed as he saw his bearded counterpart fall into a defensive stance. "We shouldn't have to do this."

"Yes we do," insisted Thomas, his calm voice betraying his stone face. "Whoever wins the fight gets to leave this place and return to the living and the loser stays. Let's just skip the honorable hand-to-hand stuff and get to the hardcore action."

With a quick motion of his fists, Thomas produced two wrist devices and quickly joined them together in another quick motion. Red light soon enveloped the man, forcing Tommy to block his eyes from the blinding light. When the light faded, Tommy lowered his arms to find that his counterpart had been replaced with that of a Red Ranger. But what surprised Tommy somewhat was that this Ranger form was none of his previous forms, but a form vaguely similar to that of the original Red Ranger. The suit design, helmet, and color schemes were the same, but in place of the simplistic white gloves were silver gauntlets embedded with ruby gemstones. The boots had a heavier, metallic look to it. Hanging over the Ranger suit was the golden chestplate of the Green Ranger, completing the overall look.

"Like my new form?" the Red Ranger asked, a hint of arrogance trailing his words. "It's the product of Eltarian technology combined with Orion mystics. If you know what's good for you, you'll let me pass."

Tommy shook his head in disbelief. "Come on, power down and let's figure out a way out together. Stop this selfish ambition."

Beneath the mask, Thomas sneered. "Not a chance! Prepare to go to Hell!"

Realizing that reasoning was out of the question, Tommy begrudgingly summoned his own morpher and activated it. His form was soon replaced with that of his current Black Ranger guise. As he summoned his trademark Bracciostaff, his counterpart had summoned his own trademark weapon: a long, battered broadsword whose wide double-edged blade emitted a slight reddish glow.

"You know you have no chance," the Red Ranger said, "These new Ranger powers outclass all others."

Tommy shook his head, gripping his weapon tightly. "If your powers were any good, you wouldn't be here right now."

Without warning, the Red Ranger launched himself into the air with the sword held over his hand. As he was about to land, he swung the sword forward towards Tommy, who managed to sidestep the attack. When the Red Ranger landed, he was struck with a kick to the chest which stunned him momentarily. Tommy swung the staff to his opponent, but he was too slow as the Red Ranger recovered and blocked the blow with his sword. A quick elbow strike to Tommy's head forced him to drop the staff, but upon seeing the Ranger swinging the sword, he blocked it with his hands and kicked it away. The two Tommies, now unarmed, frantically traded off punches and kicks, lunges and foot sweeps, and other maneuvers quick. Just as the melee peaked in intensity, a great force knocked the two away from each other.

Tommy recovered quickly while his counterpart was slow to regain his bearings. Seeing this as an open opportunity, Tommy motioned the blade of his Bracciostaff in a circular motion and shot out an energy orb attack, which had taken down or crippled many enemies in the past. By the time the Red Ranger saw the orb flying at him, it was too late to do anything. The blast had enveloped his entire body and a series of explosions ripped his armor apart. When the smoke cleared, Tommy got a clear view of the other Thomas Oliver, who was breathing heavily as he experienced a forceful demorph that returned him to his real form.

With a quick motion, the Black Ranger demorphed and was replaced with his civilian identity. Tommy looked down at his fallen counterpart with pity. He began to walk towards the portal when Thomas cried out. "Come back here! Don't leave me like this!"

Tommy turned to face his opponent, suppressing a smile. "Suddenly, I'm beginning to doubt if you're really me or just another test to keep me from being awake."

With that, Tommy stepped into the portal and...

-o-

"How long was he like this?" Billy asked as he studied Tommy's vitals.

"About a couple days," Hayley replied while Justin checked on Tommy's immobile body. "Your friend seemed to handle things rather well."

"Justin was a bright kid when he was a Ranger," Billy noted, recalling their brief partnership together in the launching of a pivotal project during the height of the Alliance War. "Those skills he developed in college came in handy."

Both Hayley and Billy studied the vitals for a few seconds before they started to change on him. Billy shot a brief smile at the readings before it was replaced with a concerned frown.

"What's going on?" Hayley asked.

Billy scratched his head. "Whatever is causing his current comatose state is being eradicated. His vitals are returning to normal."

"So that's good, right?" she asked, confused by Billy's heavy tone. "So why the long face?"

Billy studied the vitals a second time, more thoroughly, searching for any possible error or anything he might have overlooked. When he found nothing, his fears were confirmed and with a heavy heart, he turned to Hayley , who was looking back at the Blue Ranger with quizzical expressions.

"His vitals are returning to normal, but along with it comes an additional side-effect that I've been fearing for a long time," he explained, trying to keep his voice calm.

"I don't get it."

Billy sighed. "You know that Tommy had been exposed to multiple Ranger powers over the past few years. Well, each time he switches powers, it causes a slight imbalance in his body chemistry. Because of Tommy's constant exposure to alternating Ranger powers, these imbalances would have occurred in greater frequency and would build up to the point where he'd eventually be getting symptoms." He turned to Hayley. "You mentioned before that Tommy fell into a similar coma a few days prior to his announced death, correct?"

Hayley nodded. "The first time was just a coma after he was encased in amber, stuck in a morphed state, and was temporarily invisible... Could these be possible symptoms of these constant imbalances you're talking about?"

"The amber was an attack, so that I doubt," answered Billy, "but there's no reason for being stuck in morphed state. The built-in failsafe wouldn't have allowed it."

Hayley raised an eyebrow. "There's failsafes in morphers?"

Billy thought about it briefly before ignoring that last comment. "In any case, these comas are possible symptoms, but I won't know until I examine the data further but..."

"Hey guys! I think he's coming too!"

-o-

As soon as Tommy stepped through the portal, he was immediately hit by pitch darkness and knocked out. Probably for the best, since what he would experience for the next hour would be pretty graphic and would make him wish he was dead. When he did eventually regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was Justin Stewart's grinning face hovering over him.

"Hey guys!" the former Blue Turbo Ranger cried out, "I think he's coming too!"

Tommy winced for a moment at the young man's loud bellow. "Not too loud, Justin. I just woke up."

He whisked Justin away with his hand and saw Hayley standing there, trying to fight back tears. She then leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, then whispered, "Welcome back and don't expect me to wear pink for you."

Tommy shook his head in disbelief, but when his eyes met with those of a longtime friend he hadn't seen in years, his eyes widened and so did his smile.

"You bastard," he quipped, "What are you doing here saving my butt again?"

Billy half-smiled. "Making sure you were well enough to ask a question like that."

Tommy couldn't help but chuckle, but quickly frowned when he noticed that the three friends' enthusiasm were less than he had hoped for. "Is it just me or were you guys hoping I didn't come back from the dead?"

Although Hayley and Justin simply turned away in response, Billy winced at the words. "Now that you mention it, Tom, we do have a problem to discuss..."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7

**POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER**

**THE WILL TO LIVE**

Chapter Seven

Written by DTM666

Disclaimer: The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.

-o-

_Doctor Thomas Oliver has a decision to make. A decision that will either be the end of his Ranger career or will delay the inevitable succumbing of the imbalances that have built up over the years. It's only been five days since his re-awakening, but what he has heard is almost plentiful enough._

-o-

Three days ago.

Tommy sat on the couch in the living room of his home, with William Cranston leaning on the side of a wall. It was rather quiet in Tommy's house... in fact, it had been rather peaceful all week at Reefside. Hayley had already told the other Dino Rangers of his recovery and asked to give him a few days alone before meeting with him. Justin had returned to home to continue his studies, leaving the two veterans alone to discuss past activities, memories, and other subjects of interest. Eventually, Tommy thought it was time to bring up the 'problem' Billy mentioned earlier... the one he was purposely trying to avoid all day.

Finally, Tommy blurted out the question. "So what caused my death?"

Billy sighed and sat on a chair. "Your constant exposure to differing Ranger powers over the years is the primary cause of your... 'death' as you refer to it."

Tommy looked away briefly before facing his friend again. "What do you mean by that? I mean, Hayley told me pretty much what you told her, but I'd like to know a little more about what's going on."

Billy grimaced. "Well, during the time I've been here, I've been able to analyze your vitals a little more carefully as well as the properties of the Dino Gem itself. I'll tell you the same thing I told Hayley a couple days earlier; each time you switched powers, your body chemistry experiences a slight imbalance. Nothing particularly fatal in its initial stages, but over time and many power changes, these imbalances would eventually cause you to suffer symptoms."

"Like my coma?" Tommy interjected.

"Affirmative," Billy said, "Now when you assumed the powers of the Black Dino Gem and the Black Ranger, somehow those powers caused a much-more inhibiting imbalance in your life force. To an extent, that's what caused your coma in the first place. Hayley told me some of the circumstances preceding this and it's possible that these occurrences might have added to those imbalances in your chemistry. Unfortunately, it's not sufficient cause to putting you to temporary death, so I studied your vitals with a bit more detail and discovered that a trace of the Gamma-Tri disease had been the cause."

"I don't understand."

"You remember Ethan Kain?"

Tommy thought hard until his thoughts came across an incident several years ago, when the original Rangers had encountered Kain, an aged scientist claiming to be one of Rita Repulsa's chosen disciples. It was during the early period of his stint as the White Ranger and newly-appointed leader. "The guy who used some purple gas to knock you guys out? I remember him, but why are you bring that up?"

Billy nodded. "You remember the prognosis Alpha made on you?"

Tommy thought back to the encounter and the circumstances surrounding it. "If I remember right, you guys were affected because some Gamma-Tri traces were flowing in your bloodstream," Tommy replied, "Jason has never made contact with any Gamma-Tri substance, so he isn't susceptible to the plague. As far as I was concerned, Alpha thought it possible that when the Green Candle burned out and I lost my Green Ranger powers the first time, the Gamma Tri particles may have been eliminated." As he said those words, a thought popped into his mind. "Could Alpha had been wrong?"

"I'd say it's possible that your exposure to Gamma Tri was different than the rest of us," theorized Billy, "That's why Alpha didn't catch it at the time, but I can't find any other possible explanation for your condition."

"My condition," Tommy repeated, somewhat confused. "I thought you said I was fine."

The original Blue Ranger raised an eyebrow. "I never said that, Tommy."

"So what are you saying?"

Billy sighed. "Right now, I'm currently studying alternative means of either curing or inhibiting this imbalance in your life. But until we do, I have to suggest that you restrain yourself from morphing into battle."

Tommy hung his head and stood up. "I can't do that, Bill. Mesogog isn't likely to stay quiet for long and I have to be there for my Rangers."

"I'd have to insist that you hold back," Billy said, "Your morphing is only adding to your condition and quite frankly, it's very likely that another incident like this can happen and the next time we won't be as lucky. And if your Rangers need any help, I'm sure Justin or anybody else can fill in while we have the DNA coder disabled." He walked over to Tommy and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Tommy, I'm telling you this as your friend and as someone who had fought beside you and against you in the Ranger ranks. At your current state, a couple morphs will terminate your existence. And there isn't anything we can do to bring you back to life again."

Tommy slumped into his chair, thinking about his current condition. Much as he wants to dispute it, he had to admit Billy was right. Still, he wasn't thrilled about the idea.

"How long am I on morphing probation?"

"I don't know." Billy said, rubbing his chin. "A week at most."

Tommy nodded, satisfied with the answer for now. "Okay, Bill. Take the time you need."

-o-

Yesterday.

And so Billy went to work on developing a cure or at least some sort of countermeasure and in the meantime, Tommy was on morphing probation. During that period of time, Mesogog sent another monster to bring trouble to Reefside, but fortunately, the Rangers were able to defeat it easily thanks to Conner's Triassic Ranger powers. While he was glad that his Rangers won, he was admittedly disappointed that he wasn't part of the action. But he did give Billy a week to come up and during this time, he'll stay on the side lines. As it turned out, all the time Billy needed was three days of constant work and came by earlier in the morning to meet with Tommy...

"After some deliberation, I've managed to produce two formulas which will counteract the affects of your condition," Billy said, motioning to the two vials of light-blue liquid on the table. One of them had a slightly pinkish tint. "Both of these vials have different properties, but I've ran a few simulations and they should work without much difficulty."

Tommy looked at the two vials curiously and turned back to his friend. "What's the difference?"

The original Blue Ranger cleared his throat. "I'm not going to lie to you. Regardless of which you take, neither has aftereffects you'll like." He pointed to one of the vials. "This pinkish substance is merely a temporary fix; while it won't completely repair the life force imbalance, it will allow you to morph without any fatal consequences. Its main detriment is that it's impossible to determine how long it'll last. Could be anywhere between a few months or a few weeks."

Tommy nodded. "And what about the other one?"

Billy looked at the other vial. "The other one's a more permanent solution. It'll most definitely repair the life force imbalance without question, but doing so will purge any morphigenic compounds and other Ranger-related substances from your bloodstream."

"In other words, I can't morph into the Black Ranger," Tommy realized, "The Dino Gem won't bond with my DNA anymore."

Billy shook his head before Tommy could say anymore. "In other words, you can't morph. Period."

Tommy was almost at a loss of words. "No Dino Gems? No Zeonisers?"

"Nothing," Billy replied, almost sounding sad. "Even any new morphers you haven't touched will reject you."

Tommy was almost at a loss of words, but in all honesty, he wasn't surprised by this. Somehow, he had expected this, since his constant changing of powers, combined with the lingering affects of the Gamma-Tri compound from years earlier, were the indirect cause of his current state.

"In a way, it's akin to a sports star who suffers a career-ending injury that would prevent him from partaking in the sport in a physical way," the Black Ranger reasoned, "Difference is I have a choice between early retirement and delaying the inevitable, but it's not an easy one."

"I know that," Billy said, "That's why I'm giving you the choice. You can take the pink formula and retain your morphing powers, but you'll eventually have to take the other one if you want to live."

Tommy thought for a moment before replying. "I'll have to think about it."

-o-

Today.

The day went by smoothly for Tommy. Billy had to return to Mariner Bay to take care of some business he had with Lightspeed Rescue's investors while Justin had been long gone. Things slowly returned to normal for Tommy... well, as normal as his life would be. The decision had to be made about the vials, but Tommy was content with putting it aside and just living out life: teaching class, grading papers, and working out in after hours.

When Tommy fell asleep later that night, he had a dream. This dream was different from the others; it was an emptiness similar to what he had experienced, but the emptiness seemed almost too real. When Tommy found himself here, he also found himself face to face with the so-called "alternate universe" version of himself, the bearded man who had been confrontational with him during his tenure in limbo. Thomas Oliver smiled a wicked smile, which made Tommy cringe.

"You know this would happen, didn't you?" the bearded Thomas asked. "Somehow, you knew about this."

Tommy shrugged. "I had a feeling, but it had to happen."

"That's right, Doctor Oliver. It had to happen," Thomas said, his voice almost matching that of Tommy's. "But truthfully, I'm glad it happened to you. Because I don't believe I would have been as calm."

Tommy couldn't help but grin. "I believe that. So what happens to you now?"

"You beat my ass and left me for dead in limbo," Thomas chirped, "But I've gone to the afterlife, to a better place than most are willing to admit. Just as well, I don't think I want to return to my life of violence."

"Circle of violence has to end sometime," Tommy said, "Maybe this was the sign."

Thomas nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I'm just here to apologize and to wish you luck. Whatever decision you make, I hope you live your life well."

Tommy accepted the peace offering and gripped his counterpart's hand. "Thanks, man."

And with that, he woke up. Immediately, he turned on his lamp and checked his clock. It was still late at night, but despite the time, he no longer had a desire to sleep, because Doctor Thomas Oliver has a decision to make. A decision that will either be the end of his Ranger career or will delay the inevitable succumbing of the imbalances that have built up over the years. It's only been five days since his re-awakening, but what he has heard from Billy and from his dream is almost plentiful enough.

Slipping on a black robe, he made the walk out of his bedroom and into his living room, where the two vials were sitting on the glass table. Before making the return trip to Mariner Bay, Billy left them there for Tommy to take whenever he wanted to, but wished to be informed of his decision. Tommy approached the table, dropped onto his couch, and stared at the two vials and contemplated his decision. The pink vial would allow him to morph without consequence, but after an undetermined period of time, its affects will wear off and Tommy will be back to the state that he's in. The other vial contains a more permanent solution, which will not only purge the chemical imbalance causing his condition, but also the properties in his life force that allows him to morph, thus preventing him from being a Ranger ever again.

It was a difficult decision to make and Tommy stayed up long and hard to come to the decision he eventually made after late hours of thinking. But first, he picked up the phone and made the call to Billy's Mariner Bay home. It took a few rings to get through, but eventually he got connected.

"Hello?" Billy's groggy voice replied.

"It's me, Bill. Sorry to wake you, but I've made up my mind..."

TO BE CONCLUDED...

_**Note: **The 'Ethan Kain and the purple gas' scenario is told in its entirety in 'Plague', an older fanfic I wrote. Yes, this was a shameless plug._


	8. Chapter 8

**POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER**

**THE WILL TO LIVE**

Chapter Eight

Written by DTM666

Disclaimer: The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.

-o-

"Hello?" Billy's groggy voice replied on the other side of the phone line.

"It's me, Bill," Tommy said, a hint of bitterness underlying his somewhat calm tone. "Sorry to wake you, but I'm going to take the temporary solution." As he said it, he picked up the vial with the faint pink liquid and stared at it. "At this point, I can't afford to give up my morphing abilities just yet. Not this far in the game anyway."

In a way, he hadn't lied in his response. He still had unfinished business with Mesogog and his minions; it was only natural that he would personally oversee this conclusion as well as help his own team of Rangers mature in skill and life. But there was also a selfish motive lingering in his thought process. All these years, Tommy knew that he could easily get back in the game whenever the situation called for it. Once he took the permanent solution, not only would his ailment be gone, but also his ability to morph. No morpher or other transformation device would be compatible with him.

"I'm sure it hadn't been an easy decision," Billy said, somewhat understanding what Tommy was going through, as he had once been unable to accept the Gold Ranger powers due to an absorption of particles years ago. "But you'll get over it in time."

"True," agreed Tommy, "So do I just drink this or what?"

"Yeah. Drink it all in one shot."

Tommy did so and, after having digested the formula, immediately hung up the phone without saying goodbye. Upon realizing this, Tommy thought of calling again and apologizing, but decided it wasn't worth keeping Billy from much needed sleep. Besides, it didn't really taste all that good anyway. After a moment, Tommy made his way to bed and fell fast asleep, his last thoughts pondering to the cure he digested. It was only a temporary fix, he was told. Even Billy, who had developed the formula, didn't know how long it would last, but Tommy was confident that it would be more than enough to conclude his business with Mesogog.

So for the next several months, the temporary formula had held up. It held up long enough for Tommy and the Dino Thunder team to defeat Mesogog once and for all. Unfortunately, the powers were extinguished as a result of the Dino Gems being exhausted in the midst of a final battle, but Tommy didn't mind. It just meant that his long life as a Ranger was finally over... really over...

For good.

Shortly after the battle ended, Tommy took his leave from the other Rangers and their reporter friends, who had discovered the truth and decided to share what they know with no one. Tommy smiled at the thought as he drove his black jeep back home; Cassidy and Devin reminded him of another bumbling pair he knew who turned out pretty good despite all thinking the contrary. Pushing thoughts aside, he continued towards his house on the outskirts of town and parked in front of the driveway. On the outside, the house didn't look like it had been attacked or anything. Tommy was glad for it, since he wasn't sure if a monster attack was part of the insurance policy.

Instead of getting in through the house, he made his way to a cave close by which served as a secondary entrance to the Dino Base. The scorch marks, faint smoke trail, and the open hole on the solid rock wall were the first signs that Zeltrax went through this passage and destroyed everything in his path. As Tommy stepped through the room, he survey the destruction done. Just about all the electrical equipment was beyond salvaging and most of the paperwork had been burned away by the rampant fires. Despite years of research and archiving, Tommy wasn't concerned with any of that. He immediately made his way, walking over fallen debris and wiring, to the gray locker. The locker was still in fairly good shape despite the mayhem. He opened the locker and was relieved when he saw the contents inside were relatively untouched.

The vial - containing the solution which would cure his ailment and diminish his morphing compatibility - was still intact. One of the few things to survive Zeltrax's massacre, the others being the set of discs containing the entire Ranger database and the secret compartment containing the last remnant of the original Morphing Grid. Tommy took the vial from the rack and took one last glance at what was left of his underground lab. His mind shifted back to great glories during his long tenure as a Power Ranger and the moments that have come from them. He reflected on his greatest gains and losses, thought the friends he had gained and lost, and wondered if it was truly time to give it all up.

And then his mind shifted back to that other Thomas Oliver he met in limbo; a man who had lost so much in his life that he dedicated himself to the cause to an almost frightening degree. A man who looked to live up to the legend and the greatness that others bestowed upon him. It was the kind of man that Tommy had, at one point, aspired to be, but never could be... and once he takes the cure, he'll probably never get the chance. It hit Tommy with a stark realization, but something else made Tommy aware of what that Thomas Oliver represented... and in some strange way, it was that one something that made Tommy more sure about what he was about do to now in the here and now.

Part of him didn't want to take the formula, despite the consequences. He wouldn't mind sacrificing a longer lifespan if it meant making a difference in a role he felt truly comfortable with. But another part of him was saying that maybe it's time to hang up the morpher and let others continue their work. Maybe there was a reason he decided to stay quiet for a long period of time, save for a few choice circumstances. It took Tommy a long time to sort out his feelings on the matter, but decided that maybe it was for the best that he moved on. And with that, Tommy drank the formula in one shot. He was quite pleased not only with his decision, but also with the more-pleasing taste of this formula.

"And so it ends."

Tommy heard Hayley say as she dropped in from the house entrance. He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought as he tossed the vial aside. "Yep, it's all over for me. Time for a good night's sleep."

"And if the threat of Universal Armageddon looms over the world again?" inquired Hayley.

Tommy shrugged his shoulders, leaning against a tilted support. "Let someone else handle it. As far as I'm concerned, I am retired as of this moment."

Hayley raised an eyebrow, walking towards the now-former Ranger. "As in real retirement where you stay retired or as in pro wrestling retirement where you say you're retired but come back after six to eight months?"

"No, it's for real. No choice in the matter anyway."

"You're handling this quite well."

The former Ranger waved "Not really. I'm just hiding it real good."

"Sure, you are," Hayley mused, unconvinced.

"No, really," he teased, "Later tonight, I'll break down and cry, smoke a couple joints, and maybe rent some of the hardcore stuff."

"Sure, Oliver," Hayley mused, "Whatever."

"You're invited, of course."

"Enough!" Hayley shot out and both broke into laughter. When both calmed down, Hayley asked, "So now what?"

"Now?" Tommy chuckled, looking at the wreckage of his lab. "Now I clean this mess up."

-o-

Meanwhile, in another realm of endless void... another man named Thomas Oliver contemplates his fate in limbo. He contemplates what to do now that his path to the afterlife is averted, despite the lie he told his double. He contemplates what his fate will be. But just as things seemed bleak, a light dawns upon him and grabs him with an invisible hold. He does nothing, says nothing, and feels nothing. He just lets the light take him. He watches as the light envelops him and blinds him until he finds himself free and in another place.

No longer stuck in limbo, he finds himself in an endless dune of sand. It's relatively quiet here, save for the slight sound of gales in the distance. He doesn't feel any more alive than before, but doesn't feel lost. He knows he is on Earth, but doesn't know which Earth. Is he at home or is he somewhere else?

So many questions float in his mind and the only way to find out is venturing out there.

He'll find his answers somewhere. Of that, there's no question.

Whether he'll like what he finds? Well...

That's another story in itself.

**THE END...?**


End file.
